The present invention relates to exercise equipment and, more particularly, to a weight training device for safely performing a bench press exercise with free weights.
Weight training with barbells or dumbbells, commonly referred to as "free weights" by those who regularly engage in such activity, has retained its popularity despite the availability of a variety of progressive, multi-purpose weight training machines. Free weights are far less expensive than such machines, and many weight lifters believe that better results are achieved by exercising with free weights, particularly with regard to muscle mass and strength.
While exercising with free weights offers several advantages, it cannot be denied that this form of weight training can be dangerous when undertaken without proper training and supervision. When a person is lifting an amount of weight at the very limit of his present capabilities, the barbell can be difficult to balance which significantly increases the risk of injury. If the lifter attempts to lift a weight which is beyond his ability to handle or has performed repetitions to the point of total muscular failure, he will be forced to drop the barbell risking serious injury to himself or those around him.
The weight training exercise commonly referred to as the "bench press" has long been popular for strengthening the upper body, particularly the chest. However, as will be readily apparent following a description of this exercise, the bench press can be especially dangerous. In performing this exercise, a weight lifter lies face up on a flat bench with his feet on the floor. He extends his arms above his torso to grip and remove a barbell supported above his upper chest by a pair of stanchions attached to the bench. Once the lifter has steadied and balanced the barbell above his chest with his arms fully extended, he lowers the weight to his chest, pauses with the weight in that position for a brief moment and then returns the weight to a position where he is once again supporting the barbell with his arms fully extended. At this point he can perform one or more repetitions of the exercise, or return the barbell to the support stanchions.
A considerable amount of weight can be lifted in this exercise, and it is common for a person who has trained at this exercise for a few months to bench press a barbell equalling his body weight. Many weight lifters can bench press over 200 pounds with some performing presses of over 400 pounds.
To minimize the chance of serious injury, many weight lifters perform this exercise with a partner or "spotter" standing at the head of the bench ready to assist if the lifter can no longer support the barbell. However, many persons train alone either by choice or necessity, and the risk of incurring serious injury is greatly increased for such individuals. If a lifter training without a spotter loses control of the barbell and drops the weight on his torso, a crushing injury can result or, if the barbell falls on the trainee's neck, it can cause strangulation or obstruction of blood flow to the brain. Serious injury may also result in the situation where the trainee has lowered the weight to his chest and then becomes trapped under the barbell because he is unable to lift the barbell back to a position where he can return it to the support stanchions.
Attempts have been made to construct exercise devices on which the bench press can be performed at less risk to the lifter; however, in general, these devices are complex pieces of machinery which are expensive and inconvenient to use or interfere with the lifter's movement while he is performing the exercise. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,998 discloses a conventional weight training bench fitted with a safety device comprising two protective bars which lie over the torso of the lifter and are supported at a height just above chest level when the lifter is lying on the bench. If the lifter cannot support the weight, he simply lets it drop onto the support arms which prevent the weight from contacting and injuring the lifter.
While the device protects the lifter from injury, it prevents him from performing the exercise through his full range of motion. Lowering the barbell down onto the chest and supporting it there for a moment before returning it to the start position is the most important part of the bench press exercise from the standpoint of strength development. Since the safety bars are adjusted to a height just slightly above chest level, the lifter can never rest the bar across his chest. Even if the safety bars where adjusted to a height coinciding with the top of the lifter's chest, he could never support the barbell there by himself to gain the full benefit from the exercise because the barbell would contact and be supported at least in part by the safety bars.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a weight training device useful for preforming weight training exercises without the need for an assistant or spotter.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a weight training device which does not interfere with the lifter's full range of motion while performing bench pressing exercises.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide such a weight training device which is inexpensive to purchase and maintain.